Source: Holocaust Research Mailing list (HLIST@NIZKOR.ORG) subscriber
I received the following letter from Kirk D. Lyons on behalf of
the "Committee of Concerned Americans." Although the "Committee"
is based in Corona del Mar, Calif. (according to its return
address), the postmark is from Newport Beach, Calif., which as we
all know is the home of the Institute for Historical Review. And
the donations that are being solicited are to be made payable to
"LSF/Trustee" -- the Legion for the Survival of Freedom is the
parent corporation of the IHR. Thus, it seems pretty clear that
the IHR is behind this attempt to "save" (or take over?) the
Liberty Lobby from Willis Carto.
(Incidentally, since his name sounded vaguely familiar, a quick
search on AltaVista turned up that Kirk D. Lyons is Director and
Chief Trial Counsel of the Southern Legal Resource Center
, and who, according to the ADL,
is "a North Carolina-based lawyer who has defended right-wing
extremists and has called himself an 'active sympathizer' with
their causes" )
=================================================================
Committee of Concerned Americans
PMB 64
3535 E. Coast Hwy
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
June 7, 1999
Dear Friend,
Every patriot who supports a return to constitutional
sanity in this country knows and appreciates the crucial work of
Liberty Lobby over the years. Its weekly paper, The Spotlight,
has long been a leading supporter and voice of "America First"
values, and an important source of information that is suppressed
by the Establishment media.
But many of us who have been supportive of Liberty Lobby
are deeply concerned about its direction in recent years.
For one thing, we're upset by the rash of Spotlight
smears against fellow fighters in our common battle. The paper's
repeated attacks -- as "Mossad agents," "traitors," or "Zionists"
-- against some of the most outstanding fighters for our common
cause are a harmful waste of money and effort. Often it seems
that The Spotlight devotes as much energy to suicidal infighting
than to the struggle against our common enemy.
Everyone who is really familiar with Liberty Lobby knows
full well that these attacks are entirely the work of Willis
Carto. Although it claims to be a "populist institution,"
Liberty Lobby is actually run -- tightly and secretly -- by Carto.
Even worse, Carto's control of Liberty Lobby seems to
have become much more erratic and destructive during the past two
or three years.
According to its own records, Liberty Lobby brought in
more than four million dollars in 1996 and again in 1997. But
the most recent records, signed by Carto himself, show that
income has fallen drastically since 1997.
What does Liberty Lobby have to show for all the money
it's taken in over the decades? In spite of its name, it hasn't
done any real lobbying for years.
A new low point came in May 1998 when, as a result of
Carto's micro-management, Liberty Lobby filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy. (Amazingly, The Spotlight then tried to portray this
fiasco as some kind of victory.)
Detailed evidence provided during a November 1996 trial
in California Superior Court, including testimony by Carto
himself, established that he had transferred to Liberty Lobby
more than two million dollars that belonged to the Institute for
Historical Review, and then moved this money to the Kayla
corporation, another Carto-controlled entity. At Carto's
direction, the for-profit Kayla corporation quickly spent the two
million, and then went bankrupt.
Carto never voluntarily provided an accounting of this
squandering of millions, not even to the members of Liberty
Lobby's corporate board of directors.
How many of those who donante their hard-earned dollars
to Liberty Lobby know that Willis Carto has been improperly
pocketing some of this money for himself?
Evidence that's recently come to light shows that Carto
routinely arranges for Liberty Lobby to pay his personal
attorneys in Texas, Switzerland and Panama, as well as the
property taxes on his secluded hillside residence, complete with
swimming pool, in Escondido, California.
In spite of its supposed financial harships, Carto
arranges for Liberty Lobby to pay out many tens of thousands of
dollars yearly to each of the organization's two main attorneys,
Mark Lane and Paul Pearlstein.
[page 2]
All this is precisely the kind of corruption and
mismanagement that Liberty Lobby claims to expose in the Clinton
administration and the Federal Reserve System.
Liberty Lobby's current bankruptcy is due entirely to
Carto's illicit handling of money taken from the IHR, and his
subsequent rejection of any reasonable out-of-court settlement
with the IHR.
Now, as a result of Carto's leadership, Liberty Lobby
faces complete ruin -- with obviously harmful consequences for
the entire patriotic-nationalist community at large.
We want a strong, vibrant and effective Liberty Lobby.
But that requires responsible, capable, and honest management --
that is, leaders who don't hide behind others or squander the
hard-earned money of trusting supporters.
Liberty Lobby's very survival demands new leadership.
Fortunately, a unique opportunity has recently arisen to
save Liberty Lobby from ruin. The federal bankruptcy court in
Washington, DC, has the authority to appoint an impartial Trustee
who can "clean house."
This special Trustee will have sweeping authority to end
mismanagement, corruption and waste. If necessary, he'll be able
to fire corrupt or incompetent employees, and hire capable staff.
By law he must be fiscally responsible, fully disclosing his
activities, and providing a public accouonting of his supervision.
Carto will undoubtedly oppose the appointment of an
independent Trustee, fearful of being called to account for his
mismanagement. To avoid scrutiny, he may even try to liquidate
Liberty Lobby.
Skeptics of this plan may be concerned that the
bankruptcy judge might appoint a Trustee who will not serve the
best interests of Liberty Lobby. However valid this concern,
there [is] a greater danger that if we do not act now for a
responsible Trustee, the bankruptcy court will appoint a Trustee
on his own initiative. By taking the initiative ourselves, a
creditors' committee can assist the court in this important
matter. To do nothing would be to nail down the coffin lid on
Liberty Lobby, something that no one in the patriotic community
wants.
After carefully considering the options and the [sic]
weighing the risks, I believe that the appointment of a Trustee
is in the best interests of Liberty Lobby and the community it
serves.
I'm writing to ask for your help to save Liberty Lobby
from ruin. Backing me in this initiative are many others [who]
have been associated with Liberty Lobby over the years.
Like everything else in life, the problem is money -- in
this case funding for the specialized legal counsel, research and
services we need to get the bankruptcy court to appoint an
impartial Trustee. Several colleagues have already pledged $500
each to get things rolling.
Can I count on your help?
Please send whatever you can. Make checks payable to
"LSF/Trustee." (Your donation is tax-deductible.)
Consider it an investment in a cleaner and stronger pro-
American movement.
Yours truly,
Kirk D. Lyons

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